Contura 50-series Operating instructions

Brand: Contura

Model: 50-series

Type: Operating instructions

Lighting

Instructions

C 50

www.contura.eu

LIGHTING IN THE RIGHT WAY

It is important that the correct amount of wood is used, especially when

lighting. If you are lighting the fire for the first time you should use a set

of scales to see how much 2 kg kindling is. Also check what the normal and

maximum weights look like.

The stove is only intended for use with the door closed and it is only then

that the hot air flushing of the glass surfaces occurs. Always open the door

carefully and slowly to prevent blow back because of the changing pressure

in the stove.

The function of stoves differs depending on the draft conditions in the

chimney. Achieving the correct setting for the combustion air damper

usually takes a few attempts.

In order to obtain a good bed of embers, there should always be a thin

layer of ash and charred pieces in the stove.

LIGHTING FOR THE FIRST TIME

The first time that the stove is lit, lighting should be terminated

after the initial fire has caught. This is so that the cement that is

used as sealant is able to harden, after that the stove can be used

according to the instructions below with lighting and log feeding.

QUICK LIGHTING

It is important that the wood catches fire

quickly. Quick lighting is achieved by opening

the combustion air damper fully or by leaving

the door in the lighting position for a moment.

Smouldering, i.e. reduced air supply, results

in poor combustion and efficiency with high

emission discharges and can, in worst-case

scenarios, cause rapid gas ignition resulting in

stove damage.

Wood loading

1. Open the door handle slightly and let the vacuum in the firebox equalise

for a few seconds before opening the door completely.

2. Add 2-3 logs of a combined weight of approx 1.5-2.2 kg. One log is

placed diagonally and one or two

logs are placed parallel to the back,

see illustration to the right. Then

close the door.

3. The combustion damper must be

completely open for 3-5 minutes

until the logs turn black and catch

fire. If you wish for slower combustion, the supply of combustion

air can now be reduced. The conditions for controlling combustion

vary depending on the temperature in the stove and the draft in the

chimney.

4. The lowest output of 4 kW is usually obtained when the combustion

damper is 30% open and two logs are lit. In this operating mode it is

important that the combustion air damper is fully open for the first

3-5 minutes so that the wood has the chance to ignite fully before the

supply of combustion air is reduced. A condition of being able to control

the heat output is a thick bed of embers and a high temperature in the

firebox. When the fire has burnt down to embers is the time to add

more wood.

DEFRA exempted

The stove can be used in Smoke Control Areas. Smouldering, i.e. reduced

air supply, are prevented by blocking the combustion damper of 4 kW

output.

Lighting

If your house has mechanical exhaust air ventilation you will need to open

a window near the stove before lighting the fire. Leave the window open for

a few minutes until the fire has caught.

1. Open the controls for the combustion air fully.

2. Place some newspaper or a fire lighter

block, and approximately 2 kg kindling

in the middle of the stove. The wood

should be piled alternately across and

lengthways.

3. Light the fire.

4. The hatch is set to the lighting position,

that is the lower locking hook must be hooked securely around the

lock reel. When the fire has caught fully after approx 10-15 minutes,

close the doors completely (see figures to right). The first load of logs

should not be put on until the start up fire has become a glowing bed of

embers.

Correctly sized wood

Note that if too little kindling is used when lighting, or if the wood is too

thickly cut, the fire box will not reach the correct operating temperature.

Incorrect lighting can lead to poor combustion with heavy sooting and may

result in the fire going out when the door is shut.

Kindling wood: Finely chopped wood

Length: 25-35 cm

Diameter: 3-4 cm

Weight per lighting: 2.0 kg (approx. 10 - 12 finely chopped pieces)

Feeding Wood: Chopped wood

Length: 25-35 cm

Diameter: 6-7 cm

Normal weight: 1.5 kg/hour

Max weight: 2.2 kg/hour (2-3 logs per load)

STOVE MAINTENANCE

The glass may be come sooty with use, even if the fire is lit with dry

wood with a moisture content of 15 – 20%. Wiping with dry paper is

often sufficient when cleaning regularly. If the soot has been on the

glass for longer it can be removed using cleaning agent or a specific

soot removal agent. These cleaning agents can be purchased at your

local supermarket or your local stove dealer.

Never use cleaning agents that contain any abrasives, these can

damage the glass.

Ensure that no embers remain when removing ash from the stove. The

ash must be stored in a fireproof container with a lid for for at least a

week before being disposed of.

Also clean inside the area where the ash-pan is located, otherwise

spilled ash can prevent the ash-pan from being fully inserted and

prevent the fireplace door from being closed properly.

Soapstone can be cleaned using washing-up liquid or wiped with pure

acetone. Do not place flammable objects or candles on the soapstone.

The grate and other cast iron components can be cleaned using a

wirebrush.

It is important that the gaskets are checked from a combustion point

of view, because worn gaskets reduce combustion because the stove

draws additional air.

Painted parts of the stove can be cleaned with a damp cloth and, if

necessary, a little washing-up liquid. Damage, such as scratches, to

painted parts can be repaired using Contura touch up paint. Contact

your dealer.

Because there is a constant flow of air though the stove, cold room

air is drawn in and hot air released, dust can gather behind and under

the stove. Therefore, one should regularly clean under and behind the

stove.

Components close to the centre of the fire may need to be replaced.

Examples of such components are the stove cladding and grate. The life

of these components depends on how much and the manner in which

the stove has been used.

CHOICE OF FUEL

All sorts of logs, such as birch, beech,

oak, elm, ash, conifers and fruit trees

can be used as fuel in the stove.

Different types of wood have different

density, the higher the density the

higher the energy value. Oak, beech and

birch have the highest density.

The wood’s moisture

content

Fresh wood is about 50 per cent water.

Some of the water circulates freely

between the fibres and some of the

water is bound in the cells. The wood must always be dried so that the free

water evaporates. The timber is ready for use when the moisture content

has fallen below 20 %. If wood with a higher moisture content is lit, a large

part of the energy content of the wood is used boiling off the water. If the

wood is damp, the combustion is also poor, layers of soot and tar build up

in the chimney and could, at worst, lead to a chimney fire. In addition, it

causes the glass of the stove to soot and may cause discomfort to those

living nearby.

To ensure thoroughly dry wood, the wood should be cut in the winter and

stored, well aired, under a roof. Never cover the wood pile with a tarpaulin

to the ground. The tarpaulin will then act as a sealed cover and the wood

will be prevented from drying. Always store a small amount of wood indoors

for several days before use, so that the surface moisture has time to

evaporate.

You must NOT burn the following

Under no circumstances whatsoever may fossil fuels, pressure impregnated

wood, painted or glued wood, chipboard, plastic or colour brochures be used

as fuel. All these materials can create hydrochloric acid and heavy metals

that are damaging both to the environment and the stove. Hydrochloric

acid can also attack the steel in the chimney or the mortar in a stone built

chimney.

Candles

Do not use old candle stubs as fuel. Melted wax runs down into the stove’s

damper system and makes the stove unusable. Repairs for this are very

expensive.

The fire should not be too big. Large

fires are uneconomic and also produce

high smoke temperatures that can

damage the stove and the chimney. The

recommended amount of wood is 1.5

kg/hour and the maximum permitted is

2.2 kg/hour and then refers to burning

split birch or other broadleaf wood with

18% moisture content. When lighting

the same weight of conifer wood,

significantly higher stove temperatures

are reached. Maximum fire for long

periods reduces the life of the stove and

exceeding the permitted wood amounts

can lead to damage to parts of the stove

and the warranty being invalidated.

AVOID TOO LARGE A FIRE

Managing waste

The stove packaging is cardboard, wood and a small amount

of plastic. The materials must be sorted and recycled.

Hearth plate glass must

be discarded as waste

material together with

pottery and porcelain

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF OPERATIONAL INTERFERENCE AND

HOW TO RECTIFY THEM

SWEEPING

Sweeping the chimney ducts and chimney connections should

be carried out by a chimney sweep. The stove can be scraped

down and/or swept. A soot vacuum cleaner is most appropriate

however.

If a chimney fire occurs or is suspected, the combustion

damper and the door must be closed. If necessary, contact

the fire brigade to extinguish it. The chimney must always be

inspected by a chimney sweep after a chimney fire.

WHEN THE STOVE IS NEW

When the stove is new, a particular smell may be detected,

which indicates an oil coating and excess paint on the panels.

After a number of fires the smell will disappear. A particular

lingering smell may occur after some use. The smell comes from

the insulation in the chimney. This can be relieved by burning

wood at 2.2 kg/hour for a period of 5-8 hours.

Warning

• Duringoperation,certainsurfacesofthestovebecomeveryhotandcan cause

burn injury if touched.

• Beawareofthestrongheatradiatedthroughthehatchglass.

• Placingflammablematerialcloserthanthesafedistanceindicatedmaycausea

fire.

• Smoulderingcancausequickgasignitionwiththeriskofdamagetopropertyand

personal injury.

Abnormal amounts of soot form on the glass

There is always a certain amount of soot on the glass and this is added to

with each lighting. Soot on the glass is caused by three things:

• Thewoodisdamp,whichcausespoorcombustionandgeneratesalotof

smoke as a result.

• Toolowtemperatureinthefirebox,whichcausesincomplete

combustion and poor draft in the chimney.

• Incorrectprocedure,thedoorwasnotinthelightingpositionfor

approximately 15 minutes.

Check the moisture content of the wood, ensure that you have good base

embers and go through the lighting instructions once again.

Smoke odour around the stove for periods

This can occur when wind blows down the chimney and most often occurs

when the wind is from a particular direction. Another cause is the door was

opened when it is burning hard.

Painted parts have become discoloured

If painted parts have discoloured it is due to an excessive temperature

in the stove. The reason for the excessive temperature can be that the

maximum amount of wood has been used, inappropriate fuel has been used

(for example building waste, large quantities of finely chopped off cuts).

The warranty does not cover damage of this type.

If a problem occurs that you cannot rectify yourself, contact the dealer or

a chimney sweep.

We hope that these words of advice will help you to enjoy pleasant,

economic and problem free use of your Contura stove.

Poor draft in the stove after new installation

• CheckthelengthofthechimneysothatitmeetsNIBE’s

recommendations, that is a total length of at least 3.5 metres.

• Checkthatthereisnothinginthechimneytorestrictthesmokeand

that no nearby buildings or trees affect the winds around the chimney.

• Checktheareaofthechimney(appliestoexistingstonebuilt

chimneys), which should be 150-200 cm².

It is diﬃcult to light the ﬁre and the ﬁre dies

after a short time

• Thewoodmaynotbedryenough,checkthewood.

• Anotherreasonisthattheremaybenegativepressureinthehouse,

for example when using a kitchen extractor fan or other mechanical

ventilation. Open a window near the stove before lighting the fire. Also

try lighting some newspaper and holding it up inside the stove to get

the draft going.

• Theairsupplyductfromtheoutsidemaybecompletelyorpartially

blocked. Disconnect the hose and try lighting the fire with combustion

air from the room

• Perhapsthecombustionairdamperisnotopen.

• Thesmokeoutletofthestovemaybeblockedwithsoot,whichcan

occur after sweeping. Lift the smoke baffle out and check.

• Finallygothroughthelightinginstructionsagain.Perhapstheamount

of kindling was too small and therefore the base embers were too weak

and cold to light the next load of wood.

NIBE AB · Box 134 · 285 23 Markaryd · Sweden

www.contura.eu

Contura reserves the right to change dimensions and

procedures described in these instructions at any

time without special notice. The current edition can be

downloaded from www.contura.eu

Contura 50-series Operating instructions

Contura 50-series Operating instructions

Contura 50-series Operating instructions

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